Reel construction



Feb. 24, 1959 w. A. DE LONG REEL CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORN E Y5 Feb. 24, 1959 w. A. DE LONG 2,874,919

. REEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 11, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR ATTORNEYS Feb. 24, 1959 W. A. DE LONG REEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 11, 1954 n/M/e. Av

5 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Un a e PateIfItO" 2,874,919 REEL CONSTRUCTION William A. de Long, West Haven, Conn. Application January 11, 1954, Serial N... 403,096

lClaim. (c1. 242--118.6)

This invention relates to reels or spools, and more particularly to a reel for holding such material as cord or wire, and especially for wire of relatively light gauge such as insulated wire used as an electrical conductor.

Reels of this character tre commonly constructed of relatively light and inexpensive material such as wood and cardboard and commonly consist of a cylindrical body or barrel member having a head at each end thereof. The heads are in the form of flat disks and extend radially beyond the body or barrel of the reel to provide end flanges to hold the wire in place when coiled upon the reel.

It is common practice for the reels to be manufactured by someone other than the user, and they are usually assembled and shipped to the user in assembled condition ready to have the wire coiled thereon. Moreover, after the reel of wire has been shipped and used by a consumer, the reels themselves are not returned but are discarded, and it is, therefore, necessary that they be economically made so as to be expendable.

Shipping of the empty reels from the manufacturer to the user is relatively expensive as they occupy a considerable space relative to their weight and costs, and their transportation, therefore, adds a considerable amount to the cost of the empty reel. It will be appreciated that reels of the type shown in the present application cannot be nested together to great advantage when in assembled condition. However, if the reels can be so constructed that they may be shipped in knocked-down condition and assembled readily and easily by the user with a minimum of labor and expense, they will require much less space in shipment, and their transportation will be less expensive.

,In addition, asthese reels are discarded after being filled with wire and the wire is used therefrom, ,it is de-' sirable that they be madeas cheaply as possible consistent, of course, with the strength required to stand up under the use and handling to which they may be subjected, while at the same time they should be of relatively light weight and require a minimum of labor in the assembling of the parts.

One object of the present invention is to produce a light but strong reel having barrel and head sections which may be economically manufactured, shipped to the user in knocked-down condition, and assembled by the latter with a minimum of effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reel of the character described so constructed that it is of relatively light weight, may be made of inexpensive material and parts, and so designed that the parts may be readily and easily assembled without requiring elaborate machinery for this purpose.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a reel -of the character described constructed of parts which are ihexpensive to manufacture and which may be 'assembled with a minimum of effort to provide a light but strong reel capable of withstanding the use and handling to which it may be subjected.

2,874,919 Patented Feb. 24, 1959,

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a reel or spool embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the construction of the upper portion of the reel;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view showning a modified form of reel construction; i

Fig. 8 is a view showing a guide means for guiding the fastening pins into place; I

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view at the lower end of the reel;

Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view of a reel construction showing a modified form of fastening member; and

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of still another form of This member may be made of any suitable material such,

for example, as heavy cardboard, the dimensions being determined by the size of the reel which is to be made and .the use to which it is to be put.

At each end of the body member 10 is a head member 11, each of these members being of the form of a flatdisk. These head members may be made of plywood, for example, although they may be made of another suitable material if desired. "The inner face of each of the head members 11 is provided with an annular inwardly facing channel or routing 12 which is designed to snugly receive the adjacent edge of the barrel 10 so as to provide a well-braced joint between these two members and assist in holding the heads in place against canting with respect to the axis of the barrel. Each of the heads is provided with a central opening 13 as is usual for receiving an arbor or other support and may also be provided with an additional opening 14 to receive a crank pin or the like in order to provide for rotation of the reel.

To secure the heads in place upon the barrel member 10 I provide relatively long pins or fastening members 16 provided at one end with beads 17 and pointed at the members crossing in pairs and thus bracing the reel against distortion.

If desired, openings 19 maybe made in one of the heads 11, as shown in Fig. 5, which openings are so in.

clined as to guide the fastening members 16in their passage through the barrel. These openings will be of such size as to snugly receive the members 16 and properly guide them when they are driven therethrough. The fastening members 16 may be provided with a roughened portion just below the head 17 such, for example, as the projecting wings 20, will tightly grip the head when driven into place. If desired, the openings 19 in the upper head 11 may be omitted and the fastening members driven. through this. head as they are through the lowerhead.

if the fastening members are inserted in shown in ,Fig. 5, so that they In that event, inclined posi" tion so as to cross within the barrel, some means should be employed to guide them, and a device for this purpose is shown in Fig. 8 and will be described hereinafter.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the fastening members 16 are driven through the lower head 11 and their ends clenched over, as shown at 22, so as to lie substantially flush with the lower head. While it will not be necessary in all cases, staples 23 (Fig. 6) may be driven into the lower head of the reel over the clenched ends 22 of the fastening members 16 to hold these ends in place. Preferably these staples should be of such character that their ends will cross when driven into the plywood of the head 11, as shown in Fig. 6. It is understood, however, that these staples may be omitted if desired.

A device for guiding the fastening members in place if the holes 19. are omitted in the upper head and the fastening members driven therethrough is shown in Fig. 8. This implement comprises a cylindrical member 24 designed to fit into the opening 13 in the head 11. Rotatably mounted upon this member are rings 25 and 26, these rings being separated by a cylindrical spacing member 27. Secured to the ring 25 are four radial arms 28, each carrying a guide jaw 29 of arcuate form. A cooperating guide jaw 30 is carried by each of four arms 31 secured to the ring 26. The jaws 29 and 30 are designed when drawn together to slidably and snugly receive the body portion of one of the fastening, members 16, the jaw members cooperating to hold the fastening member while they are being driven through the head and are, therefore, disposed in inclined position relatively to. the axis of the member 24. A spring 32 connected at one end to one of the arms 28 and at the other end to one of the. arms 31 normally holds the clamping jaw members. 29 and 36 in open. position in order that a fastening member may be introduced between them.

Also secured to arms 28, and 31 respectively are a pair .of handle members 34- and 35 pivoted together at 36,

and it will be apparent that by pressing the handle members 34. and 35 together, the clamping jaws 29 and 30 may be drawn together to grip one of the fastening members 16 and properly guide it during the driving operation. It will be, of course, understood that whether or not the openings 19 are employed or omitted, the fastening members willbe driven through the lower head 11.

As shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, the lower or pointed ends of the fastening members 16 are bent inwardly, as shown at 37, and, when clenched over, are

driven into the lower head 11 as illustrated so as to hold the ends of these members in place.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings, I have shown -a slightly modified form of construction wherein the fastening members 16 are of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 6. In this instance, however, these members are not crossed in theirv passage through the, barrel but are driven through the two heads 11 in a direction parallel to the axis of the barrel. In this case the fastening members 16 are closely adjacent theinner surface of the barrel 10 so as to engage this surface and afford added bracing and, support for the barrel and to maintain the latter in rigid engagement with the heads. 1

As illustrated in Fig. 7, the fastening members are clenched over, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, and. staples 23 are employed to. hold the ends of these members in position. any of the other types of fastening members shown in 'Figs. 9, 10 and 11 of the drawings may be employed in the construction shown in Fig. 7.

As the fastening members 16 in this modification are parallel tothe axis of the. barrel, it will, probably not be necessary to provide means to guide these members through the barrel. If desired, however, preformed openings may be made in one of the heads to guide these members and maintain them in a position adjacent the inner surface. of the. barrel.

It will be understood, however, that. if desired,

Alternatively, a device similar; to that shown in Fig, 8 may be employed: except that the axis of the clamping jaws 29 and 30 would in such case be parallel to the axis of the supporting member 24 in order to guide the fastening members to a position parallel with the axis of the barrel.

In Fig. 10 of the drawings, I have shown a further modified form of fastening member which is driven into place in a manner similar to that described in connection with the construction shown in Fig. 7. In this instance the fastening member 49 is of circular cross section throughout the greater part of its length but is provided at its lower end with a flattened end portion of polygonal cross section 41. At one side of the portion 41 is provided a roughened area or projecting teeth 42 which will serve to bite into the wood of the lower head 11 and tend to hold the fastening member in place. Similar projections or teeth 43 are provided upon the opposite side of the flattened end 41 of the fastening member where it engages the outer surface of the lower head and are also member 48 which is similar to the fastening member 40 except that it is of polygonal or rectangular shape in cross section throughout its length. Such a member may also be employed advantageously, and this member is likewise provided With the serrations or projections 49, 50. and 51 designed to serve the same purpose as described in connectionwith the construction shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. 7 I 7 From the above description, it will be appreciated that; I have provided a reel construction which may be readily and easily assembled without intricate operations or machinery from its component parts. For example, the barrel members and the heads may be shipped to the user in knocked-down condition together withv the. fastening members 16, 40 or 48 as desired. The heads will be prov ded with the routings 12, and may or may not beprovided with the guide openings 19 according to the desire of the user. In any event, it will be a relatively simple matter to assemble a pair of' heads with one of the barrel members and drive the fastening members through the two heads, clenching the pointed projecting end of the fastening member over upon the outer surface of the head.

As the operation of assembly of the parts is an inexpensive one, considerable expense will be saved in the transportattlon and assembly of the parts of the reels, thus sav-ing a considerable cost to the consumer.

While I have shown and described some preferred em.- bodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but

-is capable of modification and variation within the spirit their pointed ends to lie against the outer surface of the adjacent head, and being bent inwardly at their pointed ends to re-enter the material of the head rigidly to secure the heads to the barrel, and said members being crossed in pairs within the barrel to. be disposed in noparallel relation to the axis of the barrel, and brace the structure against distortion.

UNITED STATES PATENTS De Witt Mar. 16, 1886 Benham Aug. 15, 1893 Edenborn July 30, 1895 Hutchinson May 17, 1921 Mossberg May 31, 1927 6 Farley Sept. 11, 1928 Hubbard Apr. 8, 1930 Farley Sept. 6, 1932 Mack June 8, 1937 Markle June 9, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 10, 1934 

